Disney brings Pandora to life – Due to open in 2017, Walt Disney World Resort's Avatar-themed land is being developed as part of massive expansion plans at the Animal Kingdom park in Orlando, Florida. This artist rendering shows a jungle of bioluminescent plants, alive with light and sound, that guests will experience at night.

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Master your own banshee – Guests of Walt Disney World Resort's Avatar-themed land will get to soar into the sky on mountain banshees, the bird-like predators from the James Cameron film.

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First look at Disney's Avatar-themed land – Walt Disney Imagineering is working with filmmaker James Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment to bring the mythical world of Pandora -- floating mountains included -- to life at Walt Disney World Resort's Animal Kingdom.

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Creating the Avatar experience – Walt Disney Imagineering's Joe Rohde (right) shares highlights of the Avatar project model with James Cameron (left) and Walt Disney Parks & Resort chairman Tom Staggs. The new Avatar-themed land will be located between the Animal Kingdom's Africa and Oasis zones.

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Expanding the Animal Kingdom – As part of the largest expansion in the history of the Animal Kingdom park, Disney will also be adding new entertainment experiences including a night show with live music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery.

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Avatar-themed attraction set to open at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom in 2017

Three sequels to the "Avatar" movie are planned for release in 2016, 2017 and 2018

When James Cameron's box office smasher "Avatar" first hit theaters in 2009, fans couldn't stop raving about the special effects used to bring Pandora, the beautiful home of the blue-skinned Na'vi, to the big screen.

Disney, which has stepped up to give visitors a real-life version of Pandora, just announced that Avatar land -- yet to receive an official name -- will open in 2017 at Walt Disney World Resort's Animal Kingdom.

Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Tom Staggs unveiled the first images of the park during the D23 Expo at Tokyo Disney Resort over the weekend.

"As these concept renderings show in epic scale, in the world of Avatar guests will encounter awe-inspiring floating mountains and wander through a nighttime jungle of bioluminescent plants that are alive with light and sound," said Staggs in a blog post.

"Guests will also discover what it feels like to soar into the sky riding a banshee."

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The Avatar-themed land is being developed by Walt Disney Imagineering alongside filmmaker Cameron and Lightstorm Entertainment. Disney first announced plans for the attraction back in September 2011.

"As I walked through the park, I kept imagining Pandora coming to life all around me and found my mind racing with all the possibilities of what we will be able to create in the years ahead," said Cameron during his site visit in October that year.

"Disney's Animal Kingdom is truly a remarkable place and I can't think of a better home for our first Avatar experience."

As part of the largest expansion in the history of the Animal Kingdom park, which opened at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in 1998, Disney will also be adding new entertainment experiences including a night show with music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery, said Staggs.

More Avatar moviesto come

"Avatar" is the world's highest grossing movie of all time, bringing in more than $2.7 billion worldwide.

In July, Fox announced the studio will release three sequels. Production will begin in 2014, with the movies due for release in 2016, 2017 and 2018.